I was in a Seattle coffee shop a couple of weeks ago and I overheard another customer say to her friend “they should put bullet-proof doors in the schools!”
I appreciate what she was getting at. After 20 years in the door and hardware business I’ve had to learn a little about these, and there are a couple of challenges with this idea. Unfortunately there is no such thing as a “bullet-proof” door – only bullet-resistant. Doors are rated in terms of levels and these levels determine how much protection the doors offer. Second, and more important, in the same way that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, having a bullet-resistant door would be great, but the design must also involve the construction of the surrounding walls and windows. It’s no different than when you’re looking at a fire-rated door opening. Sadly it’s not as easy as just adding a door.
If you’d like to contact me to learn more or have any questions, give me a call.
http://www.stilesdoors.com/products/bulletresistant/
